Background:Small birds in temperate habitats must either migrate,or adjust aspects of their morphology,physiology and behavior to cope with seasonal change in temperature and photoperiod.It is,however,difficult to acc...Background:Small birds in temperate habitats must either migrate,or adjust aspects of their morphology,physiology and behavior to cope with seasonal change in temperature and photoperiod.It is,however,difficult to accurately measure how seasonal changes in temperature and photoperiod affect physiological processes such as basal metabolic rate(BMR)and metabolic activity.To address this problem,we collected data in each month of the year on body mass(Mb)and BMR,and conducted a series of experiments to determine the effect of temperature and photoperiod on Mb,BMR and physiological markers of metabolic activity,in the Eurasian Tree Sparrow(Passer montanus).Methods:In one experiment,we measured monthly change in Mb and BMR in a captive group of birds over a year.In another experiment,we examined the effects of acclimating birds to two different temperatures,10 and 30℃,and a long and a short photoperiod(16 h light:8 h dark and 8 h light:16 h dark,respectively)for 4 weeks.Results:We found that these treatments induced sparrows to adjust their Mb and metabolic rate processes.Acclimation to 30℃for 4 weeks significantly decreased sparrows’Mb,BMR,and energy intake,including both gross energy intake and digestible energy intake,compared to birds acclimated to 10℃.The dry mass of the liver,kidneys and digestive tract of birds acclimated to 30℃also significantly decreased,although their heart and skeletal muscle mass did not change significantly relative to those acclimated to 10℃.Birds acclimated to 30℃also had lower mitochondrial state-4 respiration(S4R)and cytochrome c oxidase(COX)activity in their liver and skeletal muscle,compared to those acclimated to 10℃.Birds acclimated to the long photoperiod also had lower mitochondrial S4R and COX activity in their liver,compared to those acclimated to the short photoperiod.Conclusions:These results illustrate the changes in morphology,physiology,and enzyme activity induced by seasonal change in temperature and photoperiod in a small temperate passerine.Both temperature and photoperiod probably have a strong effect on seasonal variation in metabolic heat production in small birds in temperate regions.The effect of temperature is,however,stronger than that of photoperiod.展开更多
Background:The capacity for thermogenesis is considered part of an animal's adaptive strategy for survival,and basal metabolic rate(BMR) is one of the fundamental physiological standards for assessing the energy c...Background:The capacity for thermogenesis is considered part of an animal's adaptive strategy for survival,and basal metabolic rate(BMR) is one of the fundamental physiological standards for assessing the energy cost of thermoregulation in endotherms.BMR has been shown to be a highly flexible phenotypic trait both between,and within,species,but the metabolic mechanisms involved in the regulation of BMR,which range from variation in organ mass to biochemical adjustments,remain unclear.In this study,we investigated the relationship between organ mass,biochemical markers of metabolic tissue activity,and thermogenesis,in three species of small passerines:wild Bramblings(Fringilla montifringilla),Little Buntings(Emberiza pusilla) and Eurasian Tree Sparrows(Passer montanus),caught in Wenzhou,southeastern China.Methods:Oxygen consumption was measured using an open-circuit respirometry system.Mitochondrial state-4 respiration and cytochrome c oxidase(COX) activity in liver and pectoral muscle were measured with a Clark electrode.Results:Our results show that Eurasian Tree Sparrows had significantly higher BMR,digestive organ mass,mitochondrial state-4 respiration capacity and COX activity in liver and muscle,than Bramblings and Little Buntings.Furthermore,interspecific differences in BMR were strongly correlated with those indigestive tract mass,state-4 respiration and COX activity.Conclusions:Our findings suggest that the digestive organ mass,state-4 respiration and COX activity play an important role in determining interspecific differences in BMR.展开更多
Background: In temperate-breeding birds, individuals must adjust their physiological states from one life-history stage to another in response to changing conditions to maximize ecological fitness. Previous evidences ...Background: In temperate-breeding birds, individuals must adjust their physiological states from one life-history stage to another in response to changing conditions to maximize ecological fitness. Previous evidences have shown that body mass, size-corrected mass(SCM), and hematocrit(Hct) could be used as estimates of the energetic state of individuals to illustrate life-history trade-offs and individual quality in field physiology. Plasma alkaline phosphatase(ALP) plays critical roles in regulating the metabolism of energy but very limited information is known on its link with body mass or Hct.Methods: We determined the changes of plasma ALP levels in both early breeding and wintering stages of male Eurasian Tree Sparrows(Passer montanus), and examined the relationships between ALP and body mass, SCM, and Hct of the birds.Results: Our study showed that(1) in male Eurasian Tree Sparrows, body mass did not vary with life-history stage but plasma ALP activity significantly increased in the wintering stage compared to the breeding stage;(2) ALP activity was not correlated with individual body mass but was positively correlated with individual SCM and Hct. Such positive correlations, however, only occurred in the wintering but not in the breeding stages.Conclusions: Our results suggest that plasma ALP activities in free-living birds can be used as one of the indicators o body condition or nutritional status for analyzing individual variation in the wintering but not in the breeding stages. The life-history dependent relationships between plasma ALP activity and body condition may contribute to our better understanding of the trade-off between individual survival and reproduction in free-living animals.展开更多
Objectives:To evaluate the protective effct of probiotic diets on haemotobiochemical and histopathology changes of Mystus montanus against Aeromonas hydrophila(A.hydrophila).Methods:Three experimental groups of fish w...Objectives:To evaluate the protective effct of probiotic diets on haemotobiochemical and histopathology changes of Mystus montanus against Aeromonas hydrophila(A.hydrophila).Methods:Three experimental groups of fish were fed with a diet supplemented with Lactobacillus acidophilus(L.acidophilus)(Sporolac),comprising about 0.1 g,0.2 g and 0.3 g.Control group of fish were fed without L.acidophilus.After 60 d of feeding the fishes in experimental group were injected with 1 mL of A.hydrophila and were supplemented with probiotic diets.The control group fishes were injected with 1 mL of physiological saline solution alone.Results:Blood samples were collected for haematobiochemical analysis,while samples of the liver,and gills were examined for path histology after 7 d of infection.The result showed that the growth parameters,weight gain,specific growth rate were better in infected group maintained on the probiotic diet compared to those in control group.The haematology parameters,erythrocyte sedimentation rate,red blood cell,white blood cell,total serum protein,Mg^(2+),Ca^(2+),Cl,glucose,cholesterol and total immunoglobulin concentration and the pathohistology of the liver,gills were better in the infected fish maintained on the probiotic diet than those in the group fed the control diet.Conclusions:The result of the present study showed that L.acidophilus is useful as a probiotic agent in Mystus montanus against A.hydrophila.展开更多
The Tree Sparrow(Passer montanus)is a dom-inant species in urban bird communities.With the devel-opment of urbanization,the habitats and sources of food for Tree Sparrows are decreasing.Can the urban Tree Sparrow adap...The Tree Sparrow(Passer montanus)is a dom-inant species in urban bird communities.With the devel-opment of urbanization,the habitats and sources of food for Tree Sparrows are decreasing.Can the urban Tree Sparrow adapt to changes in the urban environment?To answer this question,we studied the habitat use of Tree Sparrows in eight types of urban areas in Beijing.The results show that the number of both breeding and winter-ing Tree Sparrows decreased with increasing urbanization.The habitat use of Tree Sparrows,analyzed using stepwise discriminant analysis,was positively correlated with the number of brick bungalows,coniferous and broad-leaved trees and air conditioners.It was negatively correlated with the area of high buildings and hardened roads,pedestrian and automobile flux.This indicates that the Tree Sparrow had not adapted to rapid urbanization even though it is a generally adaptable species.Urban planning should take birds such as the Tree Sparrow into consideration.展开更多
Objective:To study the effect of three medicinal plants on growth,survival and immunoprotection in Mystus montanus fingerlings.Methods:The three experimental groups of fish were fed with a diet supplemented of Ocimum ...Objective:To study the effect of three medicinal plants on growth,survival and immunoprotection in Mystus montanus fingerlings.Methods:The three experimental groups of fish were fed with a diet supplemented of Ocimum tenuiflorum,Zingiber officinale and Allium cepa(0.5 g each),and control group was fed without supplementation of herbal diet.After 45 d of feeding the experimental group fishes were injected with 0.5 mL of Aeromonas hydrophila and were supplemented with herbal diet.In the control group fishes were injected with 0.5 mL of physiological saline solution alone.Results:The blood samples were collected for haemotological analysis after 7 d of post infection.The results showed that the haematological parameters of haemoglobin,serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase,serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase,serum glucose,red blood cell and white blood cell were found to be more in challenged fish.The survival rate of pathogen challenged fish maintained on the herbal diet is better than those in the control group which is supplemented with non-herbal diet.Conclusions:These results indicated that herbal diet is useful as a growth promoter and for disease resistance of Mystus montanus against Aeromonas hydrophila infection.展开更多
基金This study was financially supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31470472 and 31971420).
文摘Background:Small birds in temperate habitats must either migrate,or adjust aspects of their morphology,physiology and behavior to cope with seasonal change in temperature and photoperiod.It is,however,difficult to accurately measure how seasonal changes in temperature and photoperiod affect physiological processes such as basal metabolic rate(BMR)and metabolic activity.To address this problem,we collected data in each month of the year on body mass(Mb)and BMR,and conducted a series of experiments to determine the effect of temperature and photoperiod on Mb,BMR and physiological markers of metabolic activity,in the Eurasian Tree Sparrow(Passer montanus).Methods:In one experiment,we measured monthly change in Mb and BMR in a captive group of birds over a year.In another experiment,we examined the effects of acclimating birds to two different temperatures,10 and 30℃,and a long and a short photoperiod(16 h light:8 h dark and 8 h light:16 h dark,respectively)for 4 weeks.Results:We found that these treatments induced sparrows to adjust their Mb and metabolic rate processes.Acclimation to 30℃for 4 weeks significantly decreased sparrows’Mb,BMR,and energy intake,including both gross energy intake and digestible energy intake,compared to birds acclimated to 10℃.The dry mass of the liver,kidneys and digestive tract of birds acclimated to 30℃also significantly decreased,although their heart and skeletal muscle mass did not change significantly relative to those acclimated to 10℃.Birds acclimated to 30℃also had lower mitochondrial state-4 respiration(S4R)and cytochrome c oxidase(COX)activity in their liver and skeletal muscle,compared to those acclimated to 10℃.Birds acclimated to the long photoperiod also had lower mitochondrial S4R and COX activity in their liver,compared to those acclimated to the short photoperiod.Conclusions:These results illustrate the changes in morphology,physiology,and enzyme activity induced by seasonal change in temperature and photoperiod in a small temperate passerine.Both temperature and photoperiod probably have a strong effect on seasonal variation in metabolic heat production in small birds in temperate regions.The effect of temperature is,however,stronger than that of photoperiod.
基金financially supported by Grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31470472)the National Undergraduate "Innovation" Project and Zhejiang Province’s "Xinmiao" Project
文摘Background:The capacity for thermogenesis is considered part of an animal's adaptive strategy for survival,and basal metabolic rate(BMR) is one of the fundamental physiological standards for assessing the energy cost of thermoregulation in endotherms.BMR has been shown to be a highly flexible phenotypic trait both between,and within,species,but the metabolic mechanisms involved in the regulation of BMR,which range from variation in organ mass to biochemical adjustments,remain unclear.In this study,we investigated the relationship between organ mass,biochemical markers of metabolic tissue activity,and thermogenesis,in three species of small passerines:wild Bramblings(Fringilla montifringilla),Little Buntings(Emberiza pusilla) and Eurasian Tree Sparrows(Passer montanus),caught in Wenzhou,southeastern China.Methods:Oxygen consumption was measured using an open-circuit respirometry system.Mitochondrial state-4 respiration and cytochrome c oxidase(COX) activity in liver and pectoral muscle were measured with a Clark electrode.Results:Our results show that Eurasian Tree Sparrows had significantly higher BMR,digestive organ mass,mitochondrial state-4 respiration capacity and COX activity in liver and muscle,than Bramblings and Little Buntings.Furthermore,interspecific differences in BMR were strongly correlated with those indigestive tract mass,state-4 respiration and COX activity.Conclusions:Our findings suggest that the digestive organ mass,state-4 respiration and COX activity play an important role in determining interspecific differences in BMR.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 31672292, 31372201)the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (C2017205059)
文摘Background: In temperate-breeding birds, individuals must adjust their physiological states from one life-history stage to another in response to changing conditions to maximize ecological fitness. Previous evidences have shown that body mass, size-corrected mass(SCM), and hematocrit(Hct) could be used as estimates of the energetic state of individuals to illustrate life-history trade-offs and individual quality in field physiology. Plasma alkaline phosphatase(ALP) plays critical roles in regulating the metabolism of energy but very limited information is known on its link with body mass or Hct.Methods: We determined the changes of plasma ALP levels in both early breeding and wintering stages of male Eurasian Tree Sparrows(Passer montanus), and examined the relationships between ALP and body mass, SCM, and Hct of the birds.Results: Our study showed that(1) in male Eurasian Tree Sparrows, body mass did not vary with life-history stage but plasma ALP activity significantly increased in the wintering stage compared to the breeding stage;(2) ALP activity was not correlated with individual body mass but was positively correlated with individual SCM and Hct. Such positive correlations, however, only occurred in the wintering but not in the breeding stages.Conclusions: Our results suggest that plasma ALP activities in free-living birds can be used as one of the indicators o body condition or nutritional status for analyzing individual variation in the wintering but not in the breeding stages. The life-history dependent relationships between plasma ALP activity and body condition may contribute to our better understanding of the trade-off between individual survival and reproduction in free-living animals.
文摘Objectives:To evaluate the protective effct of probiotic diets on haemotobiochemical and histopathology changes of Mystus montanus against Aeromonas hydrophila(A.hydrophila).Methods:Three experimental groups of fish were fed with a diet supplemented with Lactobacillus acidophilus(L.acidophilus)(Sporolac),comprising about 0.1 g,0.2 g and 0.3 g.Control group of fish were fed without L.acidophilus.After 60 d of feeding the fishes in experimental group were injected with 1 mL of A.hydrophila and were supplemented with probiotic diets.The control group fishes were injected with 1 mL of physiological saline solution alone.Results:Blood samples were collected for haematobiochemical analysis,while samples of the liver,and gills were examined for path histology after 7 d of infection.The result showed that the growth parameters,weight gain,specific growth rate were better in infected group maintained on the probiotic diet compared to those in control group.The haematology parameters,erythrocyte sedimentation rate,red blood cell,white blood cell,total serum protein,Mg^(2+),Ca^(2+),Cl,glucose,cholesterol and total immunoglobulin concentration and the pathohistology of the liver,gills were better in the infected fish maintained on the probiotic diet than those in the group fed the control diet.Conclusions:The result of the present study showed that L.acidophilus is useful as a probiotic agent in Mystus montanus against A.hydrophila.
基金This study was supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China(Grant No.30170187)the Young Teacher Research Foundation of Central University for Nationality,China.
文摘The Tree Sparrow(Passer montanus)is a dom-inant species in urban bird communities.With the devel-opment of urbanization,the habitats and sources of food for Tree Sparrows are decreasing.Can the urban Tree Sparrow adapt to changes in the urban environment?To answer this question,we studied the habitat use of Tree Sparrows in eight types of urban areas in Beijing.The results show that the number of both breeding and winter-ing Tree Sparrows decreased with increasing urbanization.The habitat use of Tree Sparrows,analyzed using stepwise discriminant analysis,was positively correlated with the number of brick bungalows,coniferous and broad-leaved trees and air conditioners.It was negatively correlated with the area of high buildings and hardened roads,pedestrian and automobile flux.This indicates that the Tree Sparrow had not adapted to rapid urbanization even though it is a generally adaptable species.Urban planning should take birds such as the Tree Sparrow into consideration.
基金Supported by Tamil Nadu Science and Technology(Grant No:TNSCST/SPS/AR/2013/25.06.13).
文摘Objective:To study the effect of three medicinal plants on growth,survival and immunoprotection in Mystus montanus fingerlings.Methods:The three experimental groups of fish were fed with a diet supplemented of Ocimum tenuiflorum,Zingiber officinale and Allium cepa(0.5 g each),and control group was fed without supplementation of herbal diet.After 45 d of feeding the experimental group fishes were injected with 0.5 mL of Aeromonas hydrophila and were supplemented with herbal diet.In the control group fishes were injected with 0.5 mL of physiological saline solution alone.Results:The blood samples were collected for haemotological analysis after 7 d of post infection.The results showed that the haematological parameters of haemoglobin,serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase,serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase,serum glucose,red blood cell and white blood cell were found to be more in challenged fish.The survival rate of pathogen challenged fish maintained on the herbal diet is better than those in the control group which is supplemented with non-herbal diet.Conclusions:These results indicated that herbal diet is useful as a growth promoter and for disease resistance of Mystus montanus against Aeromonas hydrophila infection.